“So…” Kerri paused, trying to think of a way to say what she wanted to say without seeming like she was a total bitch. Screw it, she thought. She was never known for holding back, so she just came right out and asked, “Why are you here? Are you my new bodyguard? I know now after what happened that my dad will never let me go anywhere alone again. Not that I blame him. I should have listened to him all those times that he insisted that I have someone with me for protection, but I was too stubborn. I just wanted a little freedom and privacy, you know? I wanted to be like normal people for once and be oblivious to the real dangers out there. That’s kind of hard to do when you have some huge, armed guy following you around. I just want you to know that I won’t fight you on this. I know when to admit I’ve made a mistake, and not accepting my dad’s bodyguard was the biggest mistake of my life.”
Taking a deep breath to keep from rambling any further, Kerri laid her head back against the pillow. She hated to admit that she really didn’t mind having a bodyguard after what happened. And if Chase was going to guard her then that was a plus in her book, but she had to be strong and show no weaknesses because that could be used against her. She had no doubts that her dad would do everything he could to find the man who took her. She had to be strong for him so that he wouldn’t worry about her, and he could focus on finding the psycho. She hoped he found her kidnapper soon because the thought of him still being out there and after her was truly scary. Kerri shivered as a chill ran across her spine. Something told her that she would see her kidnapper again. He would stop at nothing to hurt her because he knew that she was the only way he could hurt her dad. Eyeing Chase as he stood at the foot of the bed with his huge arms crossed like a silent warrior told Kerri that this time, her kidnapper would have his work cut out for him.
* * * *
Justin Rawson couldn’t believe he let her escape. He was supposed to be better than that. Although she was trained by the best, one tiny woman should have been no match for him. He couldn’t afford to be weak. He had to track the spoiled princess down again because she was the only way of making Daniel MacGregor pay. After years of watching and waiting, he knew that the infamous “Bulldog” MacGregor had only one weakness, and he let her slip through his fingers. Not again. He wouldn’t waste a second opportunity to get his revenge. He hated Daniel and blamed him for what happened to him. Because of him, Justin couldn’t find a job. He only knew how to do one thing and that was blow stuff up. That was the only job he had ever done since he’d turned eighteen and enlisted. For twenty years, he was damn near the best in demolitions. He could assemble and detonate bombs with just about anything. That all went to hell four years ago when he did a job for Daniel that went bad. Justin should have trusted his instincts and checked the equipment he was provided, but it was a last-minute job, and he didn’t have time to be as thorough as he would have liked. If he could go back in time, that would be the second thing about that night that he would change. The first would have been ever trusting Daniel.
Wiping the blood that was matted in his hair where the bitch had busted his head open, Justin stared at the right side of his face that was horribly disfigured. So he was burned badly and had lost his hearing on that side. Big deal. Did that stop him from being able to do his job? No, he didn’t think so. All Justin felt he needed was the use of his hands and eyes, and they were still perfect. Unfortunately, that was not how Daniel MacGregor saw it. He informed Justin that he needed all his soldiers at 100 percent because of the work that they did. He needed everyone to be able to watch each other’s backs, and Justin was no longer able to do that without compromising everyone’s safety. Yeah, he offered Justin a position in the company behind a desk, but he couldn’t take it. He was a demolitions expert and a field operative. That was where he belonged. He didn’t belong stuck behind some desk in a stuffy suit while everyone else around him got to go out and have all the fun. After eight years of risking his life for MacGregor Inc., Daniel MacGregor took away the one thing in the world that he ever loved. Now Justin would show him how it felt. Once he tracked down the spoiled brat again, he would make Daniel pay.
Tracking her down would be easy, judging by the trail of blood that ended at the road. Kerri would need a hospital and fast. There was only one hospital within a fifty-mile radius, so that narrowed his starting point down considerably. Justin needed to make sure he didn’t run into Daniel, who he had no doubt would rush to the hospital the minute he heard his daughter was there. He also had no doubt that Daniel would post guards around the hospital. Trying to take her after Daniel arrived would be too risky. No, if her father beat him to the hospital, then Justin would have to wait until things calmed down before trying again, and that just wasn’t going to happen. He knew that Daniel would never make the same mistake twice, so his only chance to get Kerri back was to get to the hospital as soon as possible. This time she won’t escape, and Daniel will pay for what he did to me.
* * * *
Chase watched as Kerri’s eyes slowly drifted shut. He knew that she was exhausted and in pain, so he just stood there and let her talk until she dozed off. It wasn’t like he could get a word in anyway. She brought a smile to his face. She was like a tiny battery. Even suffering from exhaustion and blood loss and in enough pain that would have had bigger men crying, she just ignored it and went on talking a mile a minute like nothing was wrong with her. There would be no stopping her once she was 100 percent healthy. He couldn’t wait. He wanted her in his bed and under him. He wanted to channel her hyperness into sex where they would go for hours, only stopping to refuel so they could go again. The thought had him reaching down to adjust the bulge in his crotch just as he heard the room door begin to open. Chase gripped his gun and stepped between the bed and door, watching until he saw the nurse and Daniel walk in. As the nurse went over to the bed to check Kerri’s vitals, Chase followed Daniel to the corner.
“I knew I made the right decision in calling you to protect my daughter,” Daniel said. “Based on the fact that you just placed your body between her and the door when I came in, I know you will keep her safe until I get done hunting this bastard down.”
“Thank you, sir,” Chase said. “I will protect her with my life, but I can’t do that from here.”
“Whatever you need, let me know, and it’s done.”
Chase sighed in relief. He wanted Kerri at his home, not only so he could protect her, but for purely selfish reasons as well. If Daniel knew what Chase had planned for his daughter once she was well enough, Chase would be dead before his body hit the floor. He had to get Kerri out to his ranch, and he had to get her to fall in love with him before Daniel found her kidnapper. Daniel was a sucker when it came to his daughter and would stop at nothing to make her happy, so if she said she was in love with Chase, then Daniel wouldn’t kill him.
“I need you to pull whatever strings you have and get them to release Kerri into my care today. This hospital is the first place this guy is going to look, so she needs to be gone before he gets here. I want to take her to my ranch where I have state-of-the-art security, some of which my family doesn’t even know of. I will be able to monitor any movements on my land twenty-four-seven.”
Chase expected the man to argue about moving Kerri while she was still recovering, but all the man said was “Done” and then left the room. He knew Daniel was eager to get out there and find the man who had done this, but he wouldn’t leave until he knew his daughter was safe. Ten minutes later, Daniel walked back into the room followed by the doctor who handed Chase a piece of paper. It was a list of everything he needed and instructions on how to care for Kerri. He listened to the doc as he explained what to do and what not to and what signs of infection to look for. Chase listened carefully because he refused to let anything happen to Kerri on his watch. Once the doctor went over everything several times, he pulled a syringe out and walked over to Kerri. Chase watched as his CO rubbed her head and leaned down to whisper something in her ear. Daniel stood and nodded to th
e doctor who injected whatever was in the syringe into Kerri’s arm.
Daniel then turned to him. “Okay, Chase, the doctor just gave Kerri something that is going to make her sleep for about eight hours so that she is not in pain during transport. I have a private jet waiting on the runway to take off as soon as you are on it and an escort waiting downstairs to drive you. I had money transferred into your account to get her some clothes and whatever else she needs. I don’t know if this guy has access to her account info, so I don’t want her using it. Keep her safe, and I will be back for her as soon as possible.”
Damn, this guy never ceases to amaze me. He got all that done in just ten minutes? Wow, if I didn’t know and trust this man, I would be truly frightened of him. Chase almost felt sorry for the man that kidnapped Kerri. Almost.
Walking over to Kerri, he tucked her in the thin hospital sheet and gently lifted her in his arms. She fit perfectly. Chase watched as her hazel eyes opened and looked at him then closed as she seemed to curl into him and relax. He felt like she was burrowing into his skin, and he loved the feeling. She trusted him to keep her safe, and damn if that didn’t make him feel ten feet tall. Now he knew how Duncan and Logan felt when they held Cane in their arms. Holding her with care, he followed Daniel out of the hospital and into the waiting car.
Once on the private plane, Chase placed Kerri on the bed in the back and tucked the blankets around her. He didn’t want to leave her but had a few phone calls to make. Making sure she was comfortable, Chase left the door cracked and took a seat. He called his brother Duncan first, since he was the sheriff of Pine Valley, to let him know they could possibly have trouble headed their way. He let Duncan know the situation and gave him the list of all the medical supplies he needed. Duncan didn’t ask questions and agreed to have everything ready when Chase arrived. That’s what he loved about his family. They stuck together no matter what. When one had a problem, they all worked together to find a solution or to help out to make the situation a little easier to deal with. The next call he made was to Ali. He asked her to set the office up as a guest bedroom for Kerri and for her and Cane to go shopping for whatever a female would need. He knew Ali and Cane would enjoy this task, and judging by the excitement in Ali’s voice and Cane’s squeals in the background, he wasn’t wrong. They also promised to have everything ready when he got there. With that taken care of, Chase put away his cell phone and used his satellite phone to make the one call that he never thought he would have to make once he walked away. He called the two members of his old team whom he trusted with his life. He knew they would be together, so he only needed to call one of them.
Gavin and Angel had been best friends since kindergarten and did everything together, including sharing women. They were the reason that Chase wasn’t surprised when Duncan and Logan did the same thing. He recognized the bond that they shared because he had already seen it before in his team members. Chase thought over the missions they went on and the downtime the three of them shared while he waited for one of them to answer.
“Chase, my man! We were just talking about you. You remember that mission we went on in Tijuana and you met that chick in the bar who really was a ma—”
Chase cut Gavin off before he could get started. “Not now, Gavin. I need your help. I need you and Angel here as soon as possible. I will explain everything once you get here.”
“We’re on our way.”
“I’m flying home as well, and I am carrying precious cargo. I will meet you at the airport in four hours.”
Chase didn’t wait for a response before hanging up. He didn’t need one from the guys to know that they would be there waiting for him, and they would already have the area cleared and secure before he arrived. They didn’t even know the threat or what he was carrying, but they knew security and were excellent at their jobs. Once they arrived in Pine Valley, Kerri would be safe. He already considered her his, and that meant he would protect her with his life.
Chapter 3
Kerri felt like she was floating between reality and sleep. She tried to make herself wake up and open her eyes but couldn’t. Damn, those must be some good drugs. She tried to turn over and get more comfortable, but arms that felt like steel gripped her tight. Something was wrong. Kerri realized that she wasn’t floating. She was being carried by someone. The more she struggled, the tighter the grip of whoever was carrying her became.
Just as she began to panic, she heard Chase’s voice. “Easy, little bit. I’ve got you, and I’m taking you to a secure location, so settle down before you hurt yourself.”
Calm washed over Kerri instantly, and she relaxed in Chase’s huge arms. She snuggled into his chest and breathed in his clean masculine scent. She could tell Chase didn’t wear cologne, but he still smelled damn good. His warmth went a long way in settling Kerri. Unfortunately the pain in her leg kept her from going back to sleep. The pain was almost unbearable, but Kerri hated the way the medicine made her feel and didn’t want to take anymore. She was strong and could suffer through the pain because she had no intentions of taking anymore medicine or going back into a drug-induced sleep.
Kerri opened her eyes when she felt Chase’s chest rumble as he began talking to someone.
“The area is secure, and we are ready for transport,” she heard one of the men say.
“Holy shit, Chase. Is that the CO’s daughter?” the other one yelled.
She tried to turn her head to see who was talking but Chase wouldn’t let her budge. At this point she really didn’t care who he was talking to or what was being said. She just wanted the pain in her leg to stop. Deep breathing wasn’t working. The pain was excruciating and becoming worse. Chills swept over Kerri as the cool night air blew across the sweat covering her body. As the nausea caused the bile in her stomach to rise, Kerri realized that she wasn’t being strong or tough. She was being just plain stupid by not letting Chase know that she was in pain so that he could give her medicine. Maybe he had something for pain that wouldn’t knock her out. Just take the edge off. She lifted her eyes to his only to see that he was staring at her with those intense green eyes.
“Damn it, Kerri. Why didn’t you tell me that you were hurting?”
Kerri tried to smile but she knew it wasn’t pretty. “I don’t want to go back to sleep.” Her voice was weak, and the trembling in her body caused her teeth to chatter together.
She tried to hold her head up so that she could see his face, but darkness crept into the edges of her vision as the pain became too extreme, so she laid her head against his chest. The last thing she heard before she passed out was a deep rumbling in Chase’s chest. Did he just growl at me? Too tired and weak to care, Kerri welcomed oblivion.
* * * *
Stubborn women. Chase had enough to deal with between his sister, Ali, and his sister-in-law, Cane. Now he had to deal with another one. Looking down at the tiny woman in his arms, barely hitting five foot three, Chase admired her. She was strong. He couldn’t believe she lasted as long as she did with the pain. He had seen men twice her size cry and beg for drugs with less injuries than she had. He knew she was in extreme pain when he felt her tremble and looked down to see the sweat coating her forehead and top lip. When she opened her eyes and looked at him, the shine of tears in them had nearly brought him to his knees. He couldn’t stand to see her hurting. Thank goodness she passed out because she was getting meds regardless of whether she wanted them or not. At least this way he wouldn’t have to fight her on the issue.
Ignoring the questions coming from Gavin and Angel, Chase carried Kerri over to his truck. Trusting his former team members to have secured it, he opened the back door and laid her across the seat. Once he had her positioned so that there was no strain on her injured leg, he pulled out a syringe that the doctor gave him and quickly injected her. He hated going against her wishes by giving her the medicine, but she needed it. Tomorrow, once she was settled at his house, he would start giving her something milder just to take the edge off. With on
e last check to make sure she was comfortable and that her raw feet were cushioned, Chase turned to address his old team members.
“I will explain fully when we get to my home, but just know that she was kidnapped and held for three days before she somehow escaped on her own and ended up in the hospital.”
Gavin opened his mouth to say something, but Chase held up his hand. “Wait, it gets better. Whoever this guy is that took her wanted to use her against her father, and he is still out there. Needless to say, our CO is not happy about that and is out for blood.”
“I take it he wants Kerri tucked away safe so that this guy can’t go after her again?” Angel, the quiet one of the two, asked.
“Yeah, that’s where I come in and why I called the two of you. I’m not taking any chances with her safety, and I want you two to be my eyes and ears while she is here. I have the feeling that this guy is no amateur, and if he is somehow able to track her here, then that puts my whole family at risk.”
“Of course you know we got your back, man.” Gavin grinned as he patted Chase on the back.
Gavin was the playful of the two and liked to play pranks on people, while Angel was the silent, watchful type. Chase often wondered why the two were so close when they were complete opposites, but it somehow worked for them.
“Well let’s get out of here then,” Chase said while moving to the driver’s side of his truck. “I want Kerri out of the open as soon as possible.”
Chase waited for Angel and Gavin to pull out behind him before starting for home. They had about a thirty-minute drive ahead of them, and Chase planned to use every bit of that to detail everything he needed to do to keep his family safe. They had been through enough in the past few years, with his parents dying in a car crash that almost killed his baby sister and Cane being abducted and almost killed by her ex-boyfriend. Chase just hoped that he wasn’t bringing more danger to their doorstep.
Davis, Keyonna - Faceless Enemy [Pine Valley 2] (Siren Publishing Classic) Page 3
